Motor vehicle tires are designed to satisfy a number of performance criteria, such as durability, low rolling resistance, low tendency for hydroplaning, high wet traction, good handling characteristics and low noise. These criteria are particularly important for truck tires, which are frequently operated at highway speeds for long periods of time and over many miles under varying environmental conditions.
In addition to satisfying performance criteria it is desirable to design a truck tire that is lightweight. There are several motivations for reducing tire weight. For example, a lighter tire improves fuel economy by lowering the total vehicle weight, which in turn lowers the amount of loading on the truck's engine. Lighter tires also run cooler, which lessens heat build-up damage to rubber compounds that can reduce the service life of the tire. Unfortunately, designing a tire that satisfies the necessary performance criteria for truck service often requires trade-offs that result in a heavier tire than desired.
A further design goal is to minimize the amount of materials used to construct a tire, in order to reduce costs. Even a small decrease in the amount of materials needed to produce a tire can result in significantly decreased material expenses for a manufacturer engaged in high-volume tire production. There is a need for a truck tire having reduced weight that provides the desired performance characteristics and can be produced with fewer materials.